Trading Places
by xXxAngelStormxXx
Summary: Basically a Princess and the Pauper AU. [Please remember to leave a review to let me know what you think!]
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR NOTE: How about a princess and the pauper au? Anybody down for that? *raises hand* Me! I am! So, the plot will most likely be heavily based off the old Barbie: Princess and the Pauper movie I used to watch all the time as a kid. I just loved that one.**

 **Also, since I don't have other names in mind, I will use (Possibly modified versions of) their earth-2 villain names.**

 **And whoops… here comes the cliché opener... Sorry, couldn't help myself, had to.**

Once upon a time, on a warm summer's eve, two identical baby girls were born. No, they were not twins, but besides their hair color they very well could have been had they been born of the same parents.

One child had incredibly light blonde hair, so light it was almost white. Her eyes were a pale and icy blue. She was the new daughter to the King and Queen, and was the crown Princess to the land. She was named Frost for she reminded her royal parents of winter. What surprised her parents was that her eyes could change color, from their blue they turned brown. It seemed random, so they did not know what was happening to their child. What they did not know, was that it was nothing more than her emotions. When she felt a warm and fuzzy feeling for someone, love for someone, the ice in her eyes sometimes melted away to reveal the ground.

The other child had light, chestnut-y colored hair and deep brown eyes. Her parents were poor, and training to become doctors and healers for the village. She was named Caitlin, a name her parents chose with care.

Both parents loved their new daughters deeply, but being born into such different lives they of course grew to be very different girls. Caitlin's parents could not provide all that the royal family could, so they had to borrow money to take care of her, which put them into debt. As she grew old enough, she began working that debt off for them.

The princess received only the best education from her private tutor. While Caitlin worked tirelessly, sewing all through the day and sometimes the night as well. Even with so little time to herself, she still read any book she could get her hands on and especially books on medicine. She was inspired to become a healer like her father and her mother, who served as his assistant. They also worked tirelessly to pay off their debt, but it seemed so high they feared they would never reach it.

Frost learned the art of sword fighting. She had insisted upon it, and her parents found they could not deny her this wish. She reasoned, it was only fair she learn, after all it was a valuable skill.

Caitlin learned how to take care of herself, finding a way when it seemed all may be lost to her. She quietly started treating women as their primary physician. Any woman who came to her seeking help was never turned away, and because of this, women around the town had begun to want only her to treat them. This was all secret of course, who in their right mind would teach and train a woman to be a physician? To take care of anything more than childbirth or simple things that do not need a doctor. People scoffed at the idea.

It seems unbelievable, the thought that these two girls would ever meet. But meet one day, they would. And their worlds would come crashing down around them before being rebuilt stronger and better than they could have ever imagined.


	2. Chapter 2

Years passed and both girls grew into beautiful women. Hardships had hit them both, their fathers passed during the beginning of their adolescent years and their mother's both pulled away, the pain from losing a husband felt greatly. It wasn't until they were both seventeen that they would happen to meet.

This kingdom was known for being rich in its mining of gold, but slowly the mine seemed to provide less and less. The queen was worried how she would continue to provide for her people. Options seemed to dwindle before her eyes, until finally she knew what she had to do. She had always promised her daughter she would have a say in her life, and it broke her heart a bit more to know she would be breaking that promise.

So, she began searching for kingdoms that could help provide for their people with young princes or kings in need of a bride until finally she found one. Quickly she arranged for the marriage, and just like that her daughter was engaged, and to a total stranger no less.

It would be a lie to say the daughter was pleased, of course she was devastated by the news. However, she knew it was her duty to take care of her people and so she accepted her fate.

And so here, begins the real story. For soon before the Princess Frost's marriage was to take place, both girls would be caught in a whirlwind of an adventure.


	3. Chapter 3

Frost sighed, shaking her blonde curls from her face as she did her best to remain still for the seamstresses. Although she was not pleased with the engagement, she at least wanted everything to fit her vision of what she wanted. Her dress was beautiful, and she had it specially designed. She even drew out plans for everything from how she wanted the cake to look and all the way down the smallest of decoration decisions.

She only wished she was marrying the person she loved, which wasn't the young prince Ronald.

Interrupting her lamenting thoughts, a maid came through the door and her mother exclaimed, "Oh look dear, another engagement gift!" Accepting it, the present was put with the others on a table.

"You can move now Princess. We're done with your dress for now." A maid softly told her, giving her an encouraging smile, squeezing her shoulder gently.

"Thank you." She whispered back, giving her hand a small squeeze before stepping off the pedestal.

"Oh darling, you are going to be a beautiful bride." Her mother came closer and brushed her hair back over her shoulders. "Your father would have loved to see you on your wedding day." She sighed and Frost looked down, her chest tightening from sadness. "I miss father too." She admitted quietly before wrapping her arms around her mother, and, after a moment's hesitation, her mother hugged her back. "I love you my darling daughter." She whispered into Frost's ear.

"And I love you, mother." She whispered back.

Pulling back her mother brushed her hands on her skirts, smoothing it out, "I have much to do. I shall join you for supper."

"Of course," Frost bowed her head in acceptance, "I shall see you at supper."

After her mother departed, the maids helped her out of the wedding dress and into a regular gown. Finally finished meeting with the seamstress she wandered aimlessly around the halls, not looking for anything in particular. Passing a training room, she found herself stopping and stepping closer to peer through the opened door when the sounds of clashing metal rang in her ears. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched her tutor in all things, Firestorm, training with members of the royal guard.

Her only focus now was him, she watched quietly as he fought and trained with various members of the royal guard. His movements were smooth and precise, focused only on his training. Biting her lip, she peeled herself away from the door, blushing as she did so at the thought of her intrusion into his personal time, training, and such. It didn't help much that he was rather sweaty and his strong arms were bare. Her imagination ran wild with that, but she did her best to keep it in check.

Frost sighed softly to herself as she hurried down the hallway to find something decidedly more appropriate to busy her mind with.


	4. Chapter 4

Not long after she left the doorway to the training room, Frost found herself in the expansive library lost among the many books and she instead busied herself with readings. She began leafing quickly, and skimming through some books, some music, some history, some even medical.

By the time anyone came to find her she was immersed in a journal filled with fighting techniques. This included sword fighting, which is what Firestorm was doing with the royal guard. "There you are." A voice rang through the silence and she smiled to herself, not looking up.

"Firestorm." She greeted while she examined the images drawn on the page.

Shaking his head with a smile he approached her, "What has you so captivated princess?" he asked, leaning on the back of her chair.

"Fighting techniques." She finally looked up, tilting her head so she could see him properly. Smiling she turned in her chair so she was in a more comfortable position and crossed her ankles.

He pauses a moment before responding, "I spoke with the Queen, and she sends is very sorry that she will be unable to attend dinner with you this eve."

"Oh." Frost looked back down, sadness creeping in. Her mother had not been able to make it to dinner as she promised the last few months, and rarely had time for her anymore.

"However," he moved to kneel by the side of her chair and her eyes flickered back up to him, "I have decided to take you on an outing to the town." His eyes look hopeful, and a small smile tugs at her lips once more. "That sounds lovely." She closes the book before standing up with him, "When shall we go?"

"Now, if you'd like."

She laughs, and he offers her his arm, which she takes immediately. Walking together, they make their way to the courtyard and he assists her, helping her get into the carriage. It only takes a short amount of time for them to get down to the village, and she smiles as she watches out the window at everything that passes.


	5. Chapter 5

That same day, Caitlin rose with the sun as she did every other day to find some breakfast for herself before she started working. She spent the days sewing and mending, doing tedious needlework, making gowns and finery even fit for royalty. In fact, the dress-shop was indeed one that the royal families bought many a gown from.

Finally, in the bit of free time she had she left the confining quarters of the shop's basement workshop and went out to see to the women townsfolk, tend her secret patients.

Going up to her first stop she knocks on the door and greets the young man who answers. "Good morning Wallace. May I see your mother Francine?"

"Oh, of course." He moves aside and waves her in. She checks Francine over, and does what she can to help her before being on her way once more. As she walks, she sings and hums softly to herself.

After all her patients, have been attended to, she finds herself in the main square, sitting in front of a fountain and reading a journal of medical knowledge. One she's already read at least three times.

There is set of shouts, both of pain and surprise and she shoots to her feet, hurrying to see what is wrong. What she finds is a young child, only about seven or eight, had taken quite the fall and broken their left arm. "Oh dear." She gasps, and seeing no others tending to the poor child as other physicians were not around she steps in and kneels beside her. "May I?" she holds her hands out towards his arm, and she nods, "You may."

She grabs some wood and rope and as she fashions a splint and sling she talks to her, keeping her calm. "This might hurt a little bit sweetheart. What's your name?"

"Emma." She sniffles. "Emma, what a pretty name for a pretty girl. My name is Caitlin. Tell me Emma, what do you like to do?"

"Um..." She wipes at her tears, "I like to play with my dolly and help mother in the bakery."

"Oh, wonderful. What's your dolly's name?"

"Mona." She sniffles, "She's really pretty with black yarn hair and blue green beads for eyes."

"She sounds lovely. What do you like to help your mother with at the bakery?"

"I like to-"she hiccups, "I like to help mix stuff together."

"I bet you're a wonderful helper Emma." Caitlin smiles as she finishes tying the knots. "And guess what, I'm all done. Now, you just have to be really careful with your arm now until it's healed. Can you do that?" She tilts her head as she brushes the young girls brown hair out of her face.

"Uh huh." She nods, sniffling once more.

"Oh, Emma!" A woman comes running up from the other side of the street, out of a bakery. "Emma dear are you alright?" The tall woman is frantic as she crouches down next to them.

"She took quite a spill, broke her arm even. But she'll be alright." Caitlin turns to the mother, giving a comforting smile, "She needs to be very careful with it until it's healed. If there's any problems, please either call for me or another physician." She tells her calmly, before gently helping the little girl up to her feet.

"Oh thank you, how can we repay you?"

"No need, just take care of her arm." Caitlin laughs softly, "And makes sure to have it looked at by a doctor regularly to make sure it's healing properly."

"Mommy-" The little girl tugs on her dress and whispers in her ear, softly enough that Caitlin can't make it out.

"Caitlin, is it?" She nods, "Emma is just terrified of doctors, but she seems to like you a lot. Would you mind so terribly coming by to check on her once in awhile?"

"I would love to." She squeezes her shoulder softly, "I'll come by, say, in two weeks to look at it. If something happens before then, send someone to the High Couture dress shop down the road. That's usually where you'll be able to find me."

With that the mother took little Emma back inside.

"Oh wow," A woman's voice cut through the noisy air, "I've never seen another woman taking on the role of a doctor before." A girl stepped up beside her, the blue hood of her cape obscuring her face.

"Ever since I was young, I wanted to help people." Caitlin turns and the other girl gasps before lowering her hood.

"You look just like me." Both girls gasped, their mouths dropping open slightly as they examined each other.

"Well, besides the hair." Caitlin shrugs, "We could be twins."

"Can your eyes change to blue?" The blonde girl asks her, demonstrating the strange sounding question.

"No, I don't think so." She shakes her head, "I'm Caitlin by the way."

"Frost." she smiles.

"You have the same name as the Princess." Caitlin exclaims and the other girls shrugs, "I am the princess."

"Oh, your highness." Caitlin dips into a quick curtsey.

"Oh, no need." She waves it off.

"Here you go Princess." A man's voice interrupts their conversation and they turn to him simultaneously. Confusion fills his expression and he almost drops the drinks he was carrying.

"What-"

"Firestorm, this is Caitlin. Caitlin, this is my tutor Firestorm."


End file.
